Resume Writing for Travel Nurses

As a nurse who has either done some contract, per diem, or traveling work you may wonder how all of this should fit into your resume or what the staffing agencies would like to see included in your resume.

There is certain information that staffing agencies would like to know that really isn’t fitting to include in a resume. This information can be included in a coversheet.

Contact Information

The resume should start by including your basic information such as your name, permanent address, your current or temporary address if you are on assignment, phone numbers, and email address. Do not include phone numbers where you can’t be reached. For instance, if you maintain a residence while you are on assignment and you don’t have your phone calls forwarded to either your cell phone or current phone where you are living, don’t include it. The idea of including your phone number on the resume is so the employer can contact you. You can give them your permanent phone number once you are hired.

You may be wondering whether you should include your personal social networking websites like MySpace, LinkedIn, or Facebook. This is a personal decision. Remember that there are a lot of employers that perform searches on these websites looking for information about you even if you don’t include this information on your resume. Take the time to tidy up your pages. If you have something on there that you would not want an employer seeing, it might be wise to remove it for the time being. Once you are comfortable with what is on your personal pages then by all means include the link to it on the resume below your personal contact information.

Objective

Your resume should also include such things as your objective about the position you are seeking. It is nice to let the employer know exactly what it is you are looking for. Employers are looking for a match for their open position. If you are looking to increase your knowledge or gain experience in a certain area then you should mention this to them. They may be looking for someone that they can cross-train into another unit or department and are only looking for someone who is willing to do this. If they are not looking for someone to cross-train then perhaps mentioning this will save you from taking a position that is not going to advance your skill set. Keep this short and simple. One or two sentences should cover this.

Examples:

Objective

To secure an Intensive Care position in an acute care facility offering opportunities for advancement and professional development in emergency care.

Objective

To obtain a position with a well established long term care facility with a patient ratio of not more than 10:1 that will lead to a lasting relationship in the field of geriatric care.

Specialty

This is where you should list what specialty or specialties you have worked and the number of years of experience in each. You should also list any supervisor experience or charge experience and any travel or contract experience. If you are applying for a travel/contract position this is very important. Some facilities will not hire someone who doesn’t have prior travel/contract experience.

Licensure and Certifications

Include any active certifications that you have. Do not include expired credentials. You do not need to include the license numbers for any licenses on your resume, but you will be required to submit proof of current certifications and license numbers prior to being hired. Most staffing companies require this information so that your credentials can be confirmed prior to submitting your information to a facility for consideration.

Work History

Next you should list your experience chronologically starting with your most recent experience first. It is very important to list every place you have worked for the last three years. For travel assignments you should list the name of the agency you worked for, the facility you worked at, and the start and end dates. If you worked at a clinic be sure to list exactly what that clinic does. Don’t assume everyone knows what Bob’s Rehabilitation does. Include any information about the facility that you have such as the type of facility, the number of beds, patient ratio, what unit you worked in, whether or not you worked charge, and any other units you may have worked in while there. Explain any gaps of employment over 30 days. If you have more than three years of travel experience you do not need to list every assignment. Primarily staffing and hospital employers are looking for your most recent experience. If the travel assignments were more than three years ago you can summarize by listing the agency you worked for, the dates you worked for them, and your specialty.

Be sure to list your skills for each assignment. You do not need to include basic duties that that are always performed for your profession. List things specific to the unit and specialty.

Employers want to know why you left a position so include the reason. If you don’t include it on your resume they will ask you during the interview. If it was a travel, contract, or per diem position list this next to the dates you worked there. Since an employer will most likely need to verify your employment, you will probably be asked for your supervisor’s name and telephone number. You may or may not want to include this for various reasons. At a minimum include the telephone number for the facility

Education

Include college education and any additional continuing education units/classes you have taken as required for your profession. Be sure to include the location of the educational facility and the date of graduation or completion.

Welcome! Please take a moment to complete the following information. TPC also offers a "resume" feature, which we recommend you complete. It only takes a few minutes and allows potential employers to move you through the process at an accelerated rate.

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